Security Debrief » Maritime and Seaport Securityhttp://securitydebrief.com
A Homeland Security BlogTue, 21 Nov 2017 12:04:49 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1CBP Airport Wait Times Improve, Better Measurement Needed at Land Bordershttp://securitydebrief.com/2017/05/08/cbp-airport-wait-times-improve-better-measurement-needed-land-borders/
http://securitydebrief.com/2017/05/08/cbp-airport-wait-times-improve-better-measurement-needed-land-borders/#commentsMon, 08 May 2017 12:57:04 +0000http://securitydebrief.com/?p=16944The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) just released a report on airport wait times provided by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to the American public. For the most part, the report shows that CBP is doing a good job meeting the challenge of decreasing wait times. CBP should be proud of this accomplishment (in part because GAO seems to almost always stack criticisms on the agency that they are investigating). This is one of the rare times when GAO did not have much to say.

But the issue of wait times is much broader than just reporting how long people wait in line at airports. It is also about waiting in line at our land borders and sea ports. While CBP reports land border wait times, it does not report wait times for cruise ships.

The basis for calculating wait times at airports begins when the plane arrives (called block time) at the gate. The end point is the time when the passenger is adjudicated by a CBP officer. The difference between the two, less the approximate time that the individual walks to the Federal Inspection Services Area (FISA), is the calculated wait time. At land borders, however, the foundation for calculating wait times still needs much improvement, and CBP has found the land environment to be more challenging than the air environment. CBP wrote in 2016 the following about land border wait times:

“Because of the operating uniqueness of each border crossing, the complexity of port configurations, and institutional requirements, a single, standardized technology for collecting vehicle wait time data may not be feasible. However, the benchmarks and algorithms to calculate the actual wait times themselves will be standardized. Because of the variability of wait time technologies, expectations regarding the quality of wait time information needs to be managed through outreach to potential users regarding the capabilities and limitations of the wait time system(s) deployed.”

Having a clear understanding of wait times in various environments is what allows CBP to identify areas for improvement. In addition, making wait time data publically available is important for business and travels. Time costs people money, and knowledge of expected wait times is important in planning. With improved measurements, firms transporting goods across the border, for example, would be able to better plan logistics, which can ultimately result in savings (e.g., cost savings from reduced inventory). Similarly, people crossing into the United States will be able to plan more efficiently.

Much work is still needed to improve measuring wait times at land ports of entry, but CBP is clearly making significant strides in how it gathers and shares its data.

]]>http://securitydebrief.com/2017/05/08/cbp-airport-wait-times-improve-better-measurement-needed-land-borders/feed/0Gov. Christie Nominated for FEMA Administrator! Sheila Jackson Lee Hosts The Apprentice! UFC Fighter Takes Over as WH Press Sec! Really?!http://securitydebrief.com/2017/03/31/april-fools-2017/
http://securitydebrief.com/2017/03/31/april-fools-2017/#commentsFri, 31 Mar 2017 10:11:10 +0000http://securitydebrief.com/?p=16870For Security Debrief’s 8th annual April Fools coverage, we just couldn’t wait another day. On March 31, what is sure to become the first International Alternative Facts Day, we’ve collected stories the rest of the media somehow missed…

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will be nominated to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), sources report. White House officials are calling the nomination a “booby prize,” after Christie sacrificed his dignity to support then-candidate Donald Trump in the vicious 2016 election cycle in hopes of securing a high-level cabinet position.

“Chris really took one for the team,” said an anonymous source who was not authorized to speak with the very fake media. “He stood up for Donald when no one else would, and he got absolutely nothing in return. Handing him the reigns of FEMA is the president’s way of saying, ‘thanks little buddy.’”

Sources report Christie was considered for FEMA Administrator largely because of his 2011 statement before Hurricane Irene, telling vacationers to “get the hell off the beach.”

“FEMA needs a leader who takes action and inspires the workforce,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Scott Shawn DeRocks. “Christie has shown he is ready to shut down infrastructure, like a bridge, when he needs to, and really, nothing boosts morale like a shouting, swearing gas bag.”

Reached for comment, a FEMA public affairs officer said, “Wait, he’s nominated for what? Motherf#&$@*!”Back to the top
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From our sponsor:
———————————————————————————————————————–Maalox Reports Record Sales, Credits Trump

Pharmaceutical giant Novartis today announced the single greatest quarterly sales record for its popular antacid product, Maalox. Posting sales of $300 billion in the first quarter of 2017, Maalox spokesman Upi Settummy credited the massive increase to a single force: “It’s the Trump effect! We’ve never seen anything like it. The minute people realized he was really going to be president, sales took off!”

Capitalizing on the voracious public appetite, Maalox announced several new product lines. One such product will be a “Collector’s Edition” series of Pez dispensers featuring the likenesses of President Trump and presidential advisors Kellyanne Conway, Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller and Fox News host, Sean Hannity. Settummy said, “Our market research revealed more people reach for Maalox when any one of these people appear on TV.”

Settummy also said Maalox is introducing its own brand of chewing gum.

“We’re working with the White House Counsel’s Office and the Government Ethics Board to secure a public health endorsement from White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer,” he said. “No one has brought back aggressive and medicinal gum chewing the way Sean has.”

Reached for comment, Spicer was seen mixing a newly opened Maalox Mint with Jack Daniels and Red Bull before heading to the Press Briefing Room for his afternoon session with reporters. Said Spicer: “I can’t go a day without this stuff. Ever since I joined the Trump operation, I’ve lived on Maalox, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live without it.”Back to the top
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From our sponsor:
———————————————————————————————————————–Sheila Jackson Lee to Host ‘The Apprentice’

After mediocre ratings with Arnold Schwarzenegger leading The Celebrity Apprentice, NBC announced today it is taking the network’s acclaimed show in a new direction, bringing in Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee to host a new series, The Congressional Apprentice. NBC executives said their decision came in part from the stunning viewership ratings for Jackson Lee’s HGTV reality series, “Make My Office Bigger and Better Than Yours!!!”

“I am a natural star and I deserve to be treated like a star,” Jackson Lee told Security Debrief. “This is a wonderful opportunity for me. Most of my staffers quit before I can fire them. Now I’ll finally have a chance to fire everyone!”

The show will feature 10 congressional aides competing to maintain the congresswoman’s favor. The aides will face a series of challenges in each episode, all based on how Jackson Lee actually runs her congressional office. Security Debrief was given a sneak preview of the first episode. Tasks include: a timed race to run from the Rayburn Office Building to the House floor to let the congresswoman know her dinner reservations have been confirmed; a “no sleep” challenge, with aides struggling to stay awake until 3 AM while the congresswoman watches footage of herself in hearings; and a driving challenge, with aides speeding on the highway shoulder during rush hour traffic while Jackson Lee screams obscenities from the back seat.

Show producer Helena Handbaskett said they have completed taping of the first three episodes.

“There has been a learning curve,” said Handbaskett. “I don’t think she ever really watched the previous seasons. On the first day of filming, the congresswoman immediately fired all 10 aides, calling them stupid motherf**kers. She even called me a ‘foolish girl’ when I explained that’s not how the show works. What can I say? That’s our Sheila!”

At 5 AM this morning, hearing of NBC’s decision, President Donald Trump tweeted:

Jackson Lee, who is taking an indefinite leave of absence from her work as part of the House Homeland Security Committee, said that even as she is excited for this opportunity, the real winners are the home viewers.

“Everyone deserves to watch me in my element,” she said. “I’m even considering legislation that would make the show required viewing for public high school civics classes. Now all Americans can finally see the real queen of prime time television. And they better be watching.”

The first episode of The Congressional Apprentice will air this Sunday at 9/8c.Back to the top
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From our sponsor:
———————————————————————————————————————–Headlines from the Homeland

“Haters Gonna Hate” More Than TSA – With public opinion polls revealing Americans disapprove of nearly every aspect of the federal government, a new survey of TSA airport employees, “Schadenfreude in Security,” finds TSOs are reporting a 90% increase in job satisfaction. “We used to be the most hated government employees,” said TSO Candice B. Fureal. “But between press coverage of ICE deportations, congressional inaction and the president’s approval rating, TSA is no longer taking all of the public’s ire. Sure, our pat-downs are invasive, but at least we don’t try to grab you by your p***y.”)

Trump Challenges Obama for Dubious Title – President Trump was briefed today that his predecessor, Barack Obama, had been dubbed the “Deporter in Chief.” Interpreting this as a coveted one-time moniker, the president called reporters into the briefing room. “I deport people very, very big league, probably better than anyone else,” he said. “I am the biggest deporter, I would say, ever in history. I am the real Deporter in Chief. But the very fake news doesn’t report that. They say Russia, Russia, but—excuse me, excuse me—they say Russia and…I am the biggest deporter. That’s it. I am the biggest. Everyone has to go. And we’re going to do it very fast, folks, believe me.”

Shape Up and Ship Out – Facing cuts in the Trump administration’s proposed budget, the U.S. Coast Guard announced it is beginning a downsizing initiative to ensure its operations match the funding it is given. Beginning today, the Coast Guard is putting its entire fleet up for sale. USCG spokesman Douglas S. Halfempty said sales will fund the acquisition of vehicles and tools within the Coast Guard’s budget, notably wooden dinghies, refurbished camp canoes from Camp Crystal Lake, slingshots and duct tape-wrapped pea shooters.

Back to the top
———————————————————————————————————————–LEGO Awarded Southern Border Wall Contract

In a stunning announcement that rocked the traditional government contracting community, DHS, GSA and the US Army Corps of Engineers announced that LEGO, the Danish toy company, has been awarded the contract to build the new impenetrable wall along the southern border. Beating out legendary construction competitors Lincoln Logs, Erector Sets and Jersey Boys Cement Shoe Outfitters, the massive $16 trillion contract will dramatically transform the notoriously difficult and porous border.

When asked what he thought made his company’s proposal successful, LEGO company spokesperson Handme Thatone explained that “color and creativity come alive with each opened box.” He also explained that unlike his competitors, LEGO has built in security features that others do not possess, saying, “Have you ever stepped on a LEGO in the dark and in bare feet?”

Thatone also explained that labor costs would be dramatically cheaper given that thousands of 6-13 year old children would be invited to assemble the wall, negating the need for more costly older workers.

In a hastily arranged press conference, journalists peppered Sean Spicer with questions about Trump’s promise to use American companies to build American products. Said Spicer: “I believe I have not been aware of knowledge that I believe to not be the case.”Back to the top
———————————————————————————————————————–UFC Fighter Tapped as New White House Press Secretary

President Trump intends to replace Press Secretary Sean Spicer with UFC champion fighter Conor McGregor. From the opening moments of his presidency, rumors have circulated that the president has been unhappy with Spicer’s performances in the regular White House press briefings and wants to bring in someone with edgier answers and more combative arguing skills.

Reached at the Trump International Hotel, where he had just been awarded Trump International’s “Greatest and Truly Very Special Employee of the Year” plaque for the 34th year in a row, the President said, “I love Sean. He’s a beautiful man with a yuge heart that loves this country deeply, but I need to have someone who is ready to tear the flesh off the faces of very fake news media and snap bones with a scissor kick. That’s Conor. Did you see that white fur jacket and pajama ensemble he wore to the UFC press conference with Eddie Alvarez and attempt to throw the chair at him? I saw that and I thought, that’s the kind of man I need fighting for my team.”

The president said he wants McGregor to single out one news outlet and make an example of them. He said: “I am tired of that fake news CNN reporter Jim Acosta. I told Conor, the first time Acosta starts waving his hand, he has my permission to rip his arm off and beat the press corps into submission with it.”

Security Debrief caught up with McGregor as he moved into the Press Secretary office with his small box of office supplies, which included duct tape, razor blades and a staple gun. McGregor smiled, cracked his knuckles and rolled his head in a circle: “Those lasses are gonna get their asses kicked! Bring it on baby!”Back to the top
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From our sponsor:
———————————————————————————————————————–Fud Network Announces New Show, “Cookin’ with a Lil’ Putin”

In another ground breaking career expansion, former Trump advisor Michael Flynn announced he has signed an exclusive deal with the Fud Network for his own cooking show. The hour-long program, “Cooking with a Lil’ Putin,” will feature Flynn sharing his favorite secret recipes co-created with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Shot each week in a different dysfunctional geopolitical location being disrupted by Russian intelligence services, or by bogus, conspiracy-laden news stories that play to the black-van crowd, the Fud Network saw an opportunity to help the American public better understand the beleaguered and passionate patriot and the 21st century’s bare-chested, imperialist czar.

In a press release, Fud Network creative director Don’ta Believethis explained, “Nothing brings people together like food, and if you can bring together two great unheralded cooks like Mike and Vlad to show that everything is OK when we share our deepest, darkest secrets, there’s a chance for peace. We want to be the network that makes that possible.”

Security Debrief asked Flynn what the duo would be cooking in the first episode.

“Vlad is making his babushka’s borscht,” he said. “He had to visit a Siberian gulag to get the recipe from her. For my part, I’ll be cooking what I call Collusion Casserole. It’s a secret family recipe, but of course Vlad already knows that one. He knows…all my secrets.”Back to the top
———————————————————————————————————————–It’s Time to Get Thin Again

The Trump Administration today announced an extension of its two-for-one regulation elimination program to personnel decisions that occur after the current hiring freeze is lifted. Presidential Executive Order 2-4-1 is directed to all federal cabinet officers, including the Department of Defense, as well as independent agencies, such as the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Reserve Board. The only entity specifically exempted from the dictate is the White House’s own Executive Office of the President.

President Trump’s order is remarkable in its brevity:

“Effective upon enactment of the budget for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2017 and continuing thereafter until the end of my term as President of the United States, for every employee hired by any federal government entity, other than the Executive Office of the President, two federal employees shall be terminated immediately and shall not be allowed to return to federal service in any manner (neither as an employee nor as a contractor or subcontractor) for a period of not less than five years.”

In a press statement, the White House said the President was “sick and tired of unpatriotic federal judges” finding problems in his Executive Orders. “The more words we put in an Executive Order, the more these un-elected elitists find to criticize. Since I am so smart that I don’t need a lot of words to communicate, which is why I like Twitter a lot, it is natural for me to get straight to the point.”

Trump created a YouTube video explaining his action while also enjoying a KFC dinner. He said, “The only thing that will be big in my administration will be the big and beautiful wall we will build on the southwest border. We submitted a ‘skinny’ budget, and we will have a ‘lean and mean’ workforce. The failing New York Times has wrongfully criticized me for being ‘thin on facts’ to support my statements. They are just so wrong about this that is it unbelievable and no one should believe them.”

Trump continued, “If you know anything about Donald Trump, you know that I like thin. Just look at my beautiful wife and all of my beautiful ex-wives. I picked them because they were thin. My exquisite daughter and my gorgeous granddaughter both sold Thin Mint cookies when they were in the Girl Scouts, and they did it better than anyone else because both of them are thin. One of the first things I did after the election is get rid of that fat guy from New Jersey, Christopher somebody. That is what I want the rest of the government to do, get rid of the bloated workforce. We are going to reduce the number of federal workers, and we are going to make people work hard. We are going to get thin again!”

Trump did not explain why the Executive Office of the President was exempt from the EO. The White House referred questions to Presidential Advisor Steve Bannon, who was unavailable due to a commitment to accompany Food Network’s Guy Fieri on a “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” exploration of American fast-food establishments in nearby Germantown, Maryland.Back to the top
———————————————————————————————————————–Camp David Becomes Federal Program Hunger Games Facility

President Trump is converting Camp David, the long held presidential retreat in western Maryland, into a survival contest arena and training ground. Modeled after the Hunger Games, government programs slated for elimination or drastic budget cuts will fight for fiscal year survival.

A Trump spokesperson and survivalist expert who wished to remain anonymous because the odds were not in her favor explained, “Since the President has no use for Camp David and its rustic quarters, he thought it would be great to convert the wilderness facility into an arena where government programs fight for their lives.”

OMB Director Mick Mulvaney and The Apprentice co-producer Mark Burnett are in serious negotiations on federal participants and sponsorship packages. Said Mulvaney in a brief moment with reporters following his weekly bloodletting with OMB Examiners, “This is going to be a ratings bonanza for us. It’s going to be bigger than the XFL, USFL and the Pro Bowlers Tour combined!”

Security Debrief has learned the first round of death matches will include the National Endowment for the Arts, the Environmental Protection Administration, NASA’s Earth Science programs, the Office of Government Ethics, NOAA, USAID and most of the State Department.

SBA Administrator Linda McMahon and her WWE co-founder husband and professional wrestling executive Vince McMahon will host the weekly television spectacle on C-Span beginning this summer.Back to the top
———————————————————————————————————————–Kellyanne Conway Nominated to Lead S&T

The White House announced its intent to nominate former Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway to be the next Under Secretary for Science and Technology. Newly minted White House Press Secretary Conor McGregor said Conway was President Trump’s first and only pick for the position. “There is no Plan B on this nomination, mate,” McGregor told Security Debrief while wielding Jim Acosta’s arm.

“The Science and Technology Directorate at DHS went through a very demoralizing period during the Obama Administration, according to employee satisfaction surveys taken at the time,” said Trump. “They were at the bottom of the bottom of the entire federal government. It’s just not acceptable. Morale at S&T needs to change, and if anyone can change morale almost overnight in an organization, it’s Kellyanne.”

“My friends at Mar-A-Largo tell me that the best scientists do not take anything at face value but engage in a rigorous scientific analysis before they will admit something is a fact or just a belief. They do not accept other people’s version of the truth. They conduct their own investigation of facts, alternate facts and the absence of facts. When I learned that, it was clear that Kellyanne was the perfect person for this position. This job has her name and core strengths all over it,” Trump exclaimed.

S&T employees said they were not authorized to discuss the nomination until grief counselors had completed their therapy sessions for individuals inside S&T’s Vermont Avenue offices.Back to the top
———————————————————————————————————————–Trump Administration Engages Private Sector to Maintain Border Wall

Inspired by the wildly popular “Adopt-A-Spot” highway program, President Trump announced the creation of a public-private partnership with “The Wall Area Cleaning Crew Organization, Southwest” (WACCOS). The WACCOS program will enable patriotic Americans “to keep the border unbelievably clean and safe – definitely safer and cleaner than it has ever been in the entire history of the universe,” President Trump announced in an early morning tweet.

One of the biggest problems for local landowners along the southwest border is keeping their land clean of discarded plastic water jugs, abandoned clothing, drug containers and used furniture left behind by illegal migrants. In addition to picking up abandoned debris, the WACCOS volunteers are also authorized to repair damage to the wall, test and recalibrate sensors, restring barbed wire, provide a fresh coat of paint, and place other aesthetically pleasing decorative symbols on the wall.

DHS Secretary John Kelly said the strength of America was found in private sector volunteer organizations. “The WACCOS program builds on America’s cultural heritage of volunteerism,” he said. “When I was a Marine, I learned the value of volunteer support organizations. When the President’s youngest son, Barron, suggested this idea to his father, the President told me to make it happen. That’s what I intend to do.”

Each volunteer will be DHS certified. Certification will require each person to submit to a background check, unless they have an existing NRA lifetime membership, and at least one member of their group will have to be proficient in welding and/or concrete repair. Each Certified WACCOS will be responsible for one mile of the southwest border and will pay DHS $100 for the privilege of selecting the area they want to cover.

“We want the Certified WACCOS to deliver results and do so in a manner that will be budget neutral. DHS will be their partner, of course, by providing training, trash bags, orange safety vests, and 300 rounds of ammunition for each volunteer who signs up for the 12 month assignment,” Kelly noted.

Clark Morkowski, an official with US Customs & Border Protection, told Security Debrief the WACCOS program differed substantially from a CBP effort several years ago. That program, Modeling Adversary Reactions, Validating Experiment Limitations (MARVEL), attempted to build a national volunteer entity, like the Girl Scouts, to monitor, patrol and repair the “virtual wall” that was to have been created by the SBInet program.

“That ‘One Size Fits All’ approach turned out to be anathema for Secretary Janet Napolitano, and she killed it outright,” said Morkowski. “This new program will be different from anything CBP has ever done.”

85 individuals and groups signed up online at www.certificedwaccos.gov in the first 12 hours after the program was announced by the White House.Back to the top

]]>http://securitydebrief.com/2017/03/31/april-fools-2017/feed/0Wanted: A Better Homeland Security Budgethttp://securitydebrief.com/2017/03/09/wanted-a-better-homeland-security-budget/
http://securitydebrief.com/2017/03/09/wanted-a-better-homeland-security-budget/#commentsThu, 09 Mar 2017 14:18:51 +0000http://securitydebrief.com/?p=16840
Budgets tell us a lot. They detail the investment priorities an organization’s leadership has for the future. Budgets also entail making hard choices about people, programs and policies, and like the Rolling Stones taught us, “you can’t always get what you want.”

Initial reports from several media sources describe a homeland and national security budget that details the obvious, as well as some painful surprises. It is no surprise that the forthcoming Trump budget will see lots of money going to “the wall” along our southern border. Nor is it a surprise to see significant proposals for plus-ups in military readiness and equipment purchases. But what is surprising are the prospective cuts that the Coast Guard, FEMA, TSA, the State Department and other mission critical pieces of our nation’s national and homeland security apparatus will endure.

No president, regardless of their political party or aligned members in Congress, ever gets all of what they want in a proposed budget. Congress has always held the purse strings, while the president holds the veto pen and can use it. As the Framers intended, all sides have to come to some type of consensus, but based upon what I am seeing and hearing from all sides, the current spending proposals lack balance and full aperture security perspective.

Here’s why.

Imparting significant cuts to the Coast Guard, TSA and FEMA put us right back to where we were just a few short years ago in terms of capabilities and performance capacity. The Coast Guard has long been the overlooked and forgotten military service in terms of congressional appropriations, resource investment and needed attention. The men and women in this service branch have consistently over-performed and done more with less than probably any other military or government unit in the world. They have always risen to the occasion, and the proposed budget cuts do nothing to ensure their shoreline peacekeeper mission for our operational and economic safety and security. You can build the most amazing wall in the world, but if you don’t protect your shoreline and waterways, you’ve only moved your lingering problem to another, even more vulnerable area.

Slashing TSA also makes little sense considering how quickly the agency has come back from its nearly catastrophic brink of nearly two years ago. Former TSA Administrator Neffenger’s efforts to improve training, operations, strategies, technology deployment and so forth righted a ship that was running aground. Congressional members were quick (and right) to condemn the agency for failed screening tests, long screening lines, poor morale and other problems. They wanted those problems fixed and Neffenger and his team did that. Deeply cutting the agency, as what is being proposed, only puts this security frontline organization back into the abyss from which it was just pulled.

In terms of FEMA, it would also seem the Trump Team has missed some of the truly insightful findings offered by the recent hearings hosted by the House Homeland’s Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications on the future of FEMA. What those hearings revealed has been the tremendous progress that has been made by the agency in the 12 years since Katrina. While there is still work to be done, today’s emergency management community is stronger, more prepared and has more capabilities than any time before. These achievements and national capacities did not happen overnight. They took time, resources and consistent investments that have occurred by both the Bush and Obama Administrations to make things right.

FEMA is no longer the negative four-letter word it was once described as being. In fact, we are in the midst of shaping the most capable emergency management community to deal with the range of complex, all-hazards risks that every community must be ready to respond, recover and prepare to address. Significant cuts here only put us into Mr. Peabody’s WABAC machine, and none of us should ever want to relive those difficult days.

And that leads to an investment that I see as suffering a dramatic shortcoming in this budget – “soft power.” There’s little doubt that the United States remains the world’s strongest superpower. We certainly have our geopolitical rivals (e.g., China, Russia), but there is more to being a superpower than just possessing military superiority. We would expect the diplomats from Foggy Bottom to say something like that, but there is a growing chorus coming from the military and intelligence communities that is giving this argument for “soft power” even more credibility.

When he served as Defense Secretary, Robert Gates offered one of the most clear and visionary descriptions for the role of soft power in American leadership. At the annual Landon Lecture at Kansas State University in 2007, Gates, who then was leading U.S. military forces around the world in the most dynamic security environment ever faced by the country, committed what he called “blaspheme.” Rather than ramp up the cheers for all of the great things that military superiority gives us, Gates extolled the values of diplomacy, economics, history, geography, anthropology and other subjects as more productive tools than the forceful swing and strike that come with military might and “hard power.”

No one could reasonably argue that Gates was soft and squishy in terms of protecting America’s security interests. He made one of the most impressive of careers in knowing when to use the pen and when to use the sword. But Gates’ insightful words of 10 years ago seem to have a new echo as recently some of our country’s top military leaders came out for renewed American investment in soft power to obtain the security we as a nation treasure and value.

The truth is real security investments can never be solely military, one-dimensional or be a one-size-fits-all approach. A balanced security budget needs to retain critical investments and actions and not just focus on rhetorical monuments that play to media cameras and cheering crowds. That budget also needs to answer the visionary question of “then what?” in detailing the types of solutions and conditions that will emerge from making the proposed investments. The proposed budget that is being discussed does not accomplish that.

We absolutely need a reinforced and secured border but not at the expense of degrading every other security capability and investment that keeps our nation safe. As the past decade and a half have taught us, we can’t all be guards, gates and guns. We need intelligence, analysis and a suite of services, actions, capabilities, relationships and operations from the whole of government (and the private sector) to make security work effectively and efficiently.

The budget blueprint being proposed by the new Administration falls dramatically short in delivering on those needed investments, strategies and priorities. A new balance is an absolute necessity.

]]>http://securitydebrief.com/2017/03/09/wanted-a-better-homeland-security-budget/feed/0CBP Customer Service at Cape Canaveral Sea Port of Entryhttp://securitydebrief.com/2016/08/24/cbp-customer-service-at-cape-canaveral-sea-port-of-entry/
http://securitydebrief.com/2016/08/24/cbp-customer-service-at-cape-canaveral-sea-port-of-entry/#commentsWed, 24 Aug 2016 13:50:03 +0000http://securitydebrief.com/?p=16568U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) faces many challenges. They are “America’s first line of defense,” and they must vet all individuals entering the United States, 77.5 million of which were non-resident visitors in 2015, according to the International Trade Administration. The vast majority of these people are not a threat, but they still must be adjudicated. CBP’s charge is to manage, control and protect U.S. borders at and between ports of entry. And they must keep terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while also enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws. Their job facilitating trade flows and increasing economic competitiveness must not be ignored.

That is why I recently obtained nationwide CBP customer service data from 2013 through July 31, 2016 through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). I wanted to examine the challenges CBP faces across U.S. ports of entry, and specifically, at air ports of entry. Pouring through the data, however, I was curious how CBP customer service fared at a sea port of entry. As a case study, I chose Cape Canaveral, Florida, since a large portion of the service provided by CBP at this port deals with cruise ship passenger arrivals.

Port Canaveral is ranked as the world’s second busiest cruise port in multi-day embarkations. They market themselves as the closest port to Orlando and Central Florida theme parks and attractions. Orlando welcomed a record 66 million domestic and international visitors in 2015.

The table below shows responses by type for 2013 through 2016. For the 3 years, 2013-2015, CBP received a total of between 6 and 16 responses each year at national headquarters. Breaking down these totals, CBP received 4 compliments out of a total of 11 responses in 2013. CBP also received 1 compliment out of a total of 6 responses in 2015. These numbers of compliments should be not be considered out of the ordinary. In 2015, CBP received 1,266 out of a total of 6,936 responses to the CBP customer service center. For 2016, CBP (though the end of July 2016) received 1,470 out of a total 11,084 comments.

The most significant comment/issue compared to all complaints/responses is with regard to employee conduct. Except for 2015, CBP received a relatively large number of comments for “employee conduct.” In 2013, 2014, and 2016, complaints regarding “employee conduct” were 36%, 38%, and 38% of the total comments received, respectively.

To provide a big picture perspective, in any given year, CBP receives thousands of comments. In 2013, CBP received 13,110 comments, and in 2015, CBP received 6,936 comments to headquarters. The largest category related to customer service was “employee conduct,” accounting for 2,349, or 18% of the total in the same year. In 2015, 1,467, or 21% of the total comments received, were for “employee conduct.”

In sum, it appears that “employee conduct” by percentage at Cape Canaveral is a major issue, which is similar to other U.S. ports of entry. Just because the relative percentage is smaller at Cape Canaveral than it is across the United States in general does not necessarily mean that there is little to worry about in terms of customer service at this port. Regardless, CBP should continue to focus on ways to improve employee conduct so the relative percentage of these types of comments decreases from being one of the most pervasive types of complaints to one of the least pervasive types.

]]>http://securitydebrief.com/2016/08/24/cbp-customer-service-at-cape-canaveral-sea-port-of-entry/feed/0Happy Anniversary, Coastieshttp://securitydebrief.com/2015/08/04/happy-anniversary-coasties/
http://securitydebrief.com/2015/08/04/happy-anniversary-coasties/#commentsTue, 04 Aug 2015 15:33:18 +0000http://securitydebrief.com/?p=15977On August 4, 1790, the U.S. Congress authorized then-Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton to create a maritime service to enforce customs laws. President George Washington signed this bill, creating the United States Coast Guard (USCG).

Now, 225 years later, the USCG mission is far greater than enforcing trade laws and preventing smuggling, and it is the only military organization within the Department of Homeland Security. On that point, many of the people who stood up DHS hailed from the Coast Guard. In 2011, I spoke with one of these “plank holders,” asking why the USCG was so integral to the formation of DHS. A member of the Coast Guard before his civilian government service, Randy Beardsworth was part of the transition team that created DHS, and he later became the Acting Under Secretary for the Border and Transportation Security Directorate. He told me:

“At the beginning, everyone came from the four corners. It was a mishmash of people coming in from different fields. You had the U.S. Coast Guard influx. You had other military influx. You had some from the intel community. And a heavy dose of political people.

“There was no homeland security professionalism. The closest you got to it were people like me who had expertise in more than one area. We understood customs, Coast Guard, the DoD interface. There were few of us who had that broad background.

“In the Border and Transportation Security Directorate, I was the operational guy, and I drew largely on people who I knew and brought over from the Coast Guard. And that directorate was only a part of DHS. In terms of the expertise in managing all the departments, the people who were managing those programs all had a very strong operational background and generally had the same language in terms of missions and operations.”

The Coast Guard was particularly effective in helping to stand up DHS because its active and retired service members brought to bear a keen understanding of guiding a multi-mission organization, and they could communicate across different operational areas with a shared language and background. Those traits are uncommon in most government agencies, but they are integral in the USCG.

The Coast Guard does a lot for this country and rarely receives the acknowledgement it should. For many Americans, the USCG efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was the first real exposure to the talents, capacities and operations of the Coast Guard. There were rescues occurring from the air and water and real operational leadership that made all the difference. This is something the USCG does daily but without the fanfare or exposure that the other military services attract. They deserve better than they get in public praise and resources, as they are often left with pennies to do a job that requires real dollars.

Toiling without due appreciation, achieving success with a meager budget, saving lives and stopping threats, and making major contributions to America’s ever-evolving security environment (such as in the creation of DHS), the USCG has been and remains one of the Nation’s most critical assets, now two-and-quarter centuries on the job. Semper Paratus!

]]>http://securitydebrief.com/2015/08/04/happy-anniversary-coasties/feed/0DHS Policy on Customer Service Datahttp://securitydebrief.com/2015/05/20/dhs-policy-on-customer-service-data/
http://securitydebrief.com/2015/05/20/dhs-policy-on-customer-service-data/#commentsWed, 20 May 2015 12:45:37 +0000http://securitydebrief.com/?p=15840Although the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) gets a lot of things right, one action (or lack thereof) that has left many scratching their heads is the Department’s stance on making customer service compliment and complaint data publicly available. In an era where the public and private sectors alike are using data analytics to better understand and manage resources, it is frustrating to know that access to this data could potentially unlock doors to better efficiency. Yet, for one reason or another, DHS has kept this data away from the public eye. This is a missed opportunity, as public access to analyze and learn from this data would improve our national economy, especially the travel and tourism industries.

White House statements provide the basis for my assertion:

“On May 9, 2013, President Obama signed an executive order that made open and machine-readable data the new default for government information. Making information about government operations more readily available and useful is also core to the promise of a more efficient and transparent government.”

These two statements suggest that all Departments, including DHS, will develop a consistent policy on the availability of customer service data to the American public. Yet, it is obvious that DHS has not done so. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has one policy and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has another. TSA releases customer service complaint data to the American public through monthly Department of Transportation (DOT) publications called Air Travel Consumer Reports. The availability and use of this data has been valuable to the travel and tourism industry. While CBP collects similar data for our ports of entry, however, it has not made this data public.

Many arguments can be made for CBP’s inaction, but I find them to be unfounded. First, if CBP argued that this data is not being provided to the public for national security reasons, then I would ask why TSA already reports their customer service complaints data. If TSA is doing it, then there is no reason why CBP should not be able to do it.

Second, if CBP argues that they received too few complaints, then I would find this to be baseless from a statistics perspective. Their universe of complaints and compliments is not a sample drawn from larger population; it is the total number of complaints and compliments that they received. Supposedly, every person who crossed our borders at our ports of entry had just as much an opportunity to complain to or compliment CBP as the next person.

DHS needs to create a policy for reporting customer service data and making it available to the public. The ability to study the data and create goals for improvement would be two useful outcomes, and it would finally align the Department’s actions with the vision laid out by the Obama Administration, in terms of transparency.

]]>http://securitydebrief.com/2015/05/20/dhs-policy-on-customer-service-data/feed/0CBP Ditches Predator in the Pacific Oceanhttp://securitydebrief.com/2014/01/29/cbp-ditches-predator-in-the-pacific-ocean/
http://securitydebrief.com/2014/01/29/cbp-ditches-predator-in-the-pacific-ocean/#commentsWed, 29 Jan 2014 13:58:58 +0000http://securitydebrief.com/?p=14822News reports have started to trickle out about a decision by a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Predator operator to send a multi-million dollar unmanned aerial vehicle into the Pacific Ocean when it became clear it could not make it back to its home base on Monday, January 27th. This National Journal adaptation of the original AP story is but one of many – and they all leave me with a lot more questions than answers about what happened and why.

It is no secret that CBP’s use of high-altitude UAVs for border surveillance purposes has drawn a fair amount of press coverage but almost no public congressional oversight. The oversight that has occurred has been more of a love-fest than a serious inquiry into whether these particular types of aircraft are cost-effective and provide the highest capability for the mission to which they are assigned.

I really hope there are members of Congress who will be asking serious questions about the incident and whether CBP will be allowed to replace the now-destroyed aircraft. They also need to ask whether, now that the Predator fleet is grounded, if there aren’t more effective and more efficient means of achieving greater security capability. The long-buried-from-the-public Analysis of Alternatives prepared for CBP several years ago about border detection technologies might be a good place to start.

]]>http://securitydebrief.com/2014/01/29/cbp-ditches-predator-in-the-pacific-ocean/feed/0Increase in C-TPAT Enforcement — and Enforcement Costshttp://securitydebrief.com/2012/06/29/ctpat-enforcement-costs/
http://securitydebrief.com/2012/06/29/ctpat-enforcement-costs/#commentsSat, 30 Jun 2012 01:42:33 +0000http://securitydebrief.com/?p=13434When is a legally “voluntary” security program not really voluntary? When business realities make it involuntary.

The Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, or C-TPAT, began in November 2001, two months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. More than a decade later, this U.S. supply-chain security program has over 10,000 members and continues to grow. Each member commits to meeting security standards established by the Customs and Border Protection agency, which manages the program. In exchange, each member gets a reduced likelihood of time-consuming inspections and delays along the global supply chain.

Many C-TPAT members will only establish significant business relationships with other C-TPAT members. Further, in the fast-moving global supply chain, delays mean lost business. So maintaining C-TPAT status has become a business necessity in many cases, even though it legally is a voluntary program.

This means that losing C-TPAT status as a result of an audit or a security incident can impose severe costs on a company. There have been over 2000 occasions on which C-TPAT members have been suspended or removed from the program, and indications are that the frequency of C-TPAT suspensions or revocations has grown. CBP appears more inclined these days to suspend a company and less likely to restore that status quickly.

As the program has matured, this emphasis on compliance is sensible, and CBP is to be commended for ensuring that the program is a real security program and not merely a “paper program.” But CBP also must be careful to ensure that suspension and revocation decisions are made consistently across C-TPAT membership and that decisions are made in a timely way and in accordance with transparent procedures. There is anecdotal information that consistency and transparency are not yet hallmarks of CBP’s compliance efforts.

For C-TPAT members, these developments put a premium on compliance with C-TPAT standards, developing good relationships with CBP, and moving quickly in the wake of an adverse audit or a security incident in order to maintain C-TPAT status or ensure fast restoration after a suspension.

]]>http://securitydebrief.com/2012/06/29/ctpat-enforcement-costs/feed/0The Homeland Security Show – What You’ve Missed and What’s Coming Uphttp://securitydebrief.com/2012/04/13/homeland-security-show-passed-coming-up/
http://securitydebrief.com/2012/04/13/homeland-security-show-passed-coming-up/#commentsFri, 13 Apr 2012 11:40:03 +0000http://securitydebrief.com/?p=13173For the past month, every Monday at 7 pm EST for an hour, the Homeland Security Show I host on vipinternetradio.com is spotlighting issues in homeland security without the interlude of media packaging stories into three minute segments or subjected to political hyperbole from Capitol Hill.

Controlling the content has allowed me to do the best I can to bring anyone who bothers to open their browser the latest in homeland security news and analysis, the latest in how well government is protecting us, and how government is not. On this show, I try to strip away the politics and hyperbole, and deal with the reality of homeland security today. My choice of guests are only those who have tirelessly worked or reported on homeland security issues, those deeply dedicated to public service, or those who watch government closely and understand the interplay between bureaucracy, funding, and policy. This is not a show about thrillers, even if some of the content is more twisted and strange than most science fiction.

For all of us who work in homeland security for a living, we know and understand how essential it is for government to get homeland security right. We also know how complex that goal is. By supporting this show, and being part of it, we (collectively) have a unique opportunity to get the word outside of Washington, on a grassroots level, of our mission and the issues we face in making homeland security a reality. We also have the opportunity to get our word out to the Washington establishment, even if and when priorities shift and our issues are not in the Washington top ten to-dos at any current moment.

Content is archived and you can take a listen anytime you like. To be clear, the readers and contributors of Security Debrief are intended to be both my guests and my audience. I welcome feedback, suggestions on topics and guests, or even supporting the show on Facebook. Here is a rundown of my guests and show topics and some of our upcoming broadcasts.

Baker asserts from his knowledge of intrusions that have occurred in U.S. government computers for years that still fail to have solid cyber protections installed due to legislation dating to 1986, that a cyber-induced Katrina could happen anywhere in the United States by any ill-meaning individual, criminal organization or state that seeks to do so.

My second guest, Rob Strayer, is the National Security Director at the Bipartisan Policy Center and was a six-year Deputy Director to the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Strayer helped draft cybersecurity legislation in Congress. We discussed whether this week’s consideration of four House of Representatives bills and two Senate bills on cybersecurity have a chance of passing, and the content in those bills likely to survive votes, conference, and the White House’s influence.

April 2: The Hunt for al Qaeda

Tonight’s show, Hunting for al Qaeda, featured Michael Hurley, former senior CIA operative in Operation Anaconda’s hunt for Osama bin Laden immediately following 9/11 and former senior counterterrorism policy staff to the 9/11 Commission. The second half the show featured former L.A. Time’s national security investigative reporter Josh Meyer on his new book, The Hunt for KSM.

With Mr. Hurley, we discussed his exact orders from the President during the hunt for bin Laden while Mr. Hurley explained his tactical challenges of operating the Knowst Base, which was later subjected to a suicide bombing from an informant in 2009. Mr. Hurley also described how the 9/11 Commission was able to extract documents from the White House originally considered to be protected by executive privilege.

Josh Meyer told me why he picked Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to investigate for his book over other al Qaeda leadership, the contorted relationship between the FBI and CIA during the hunt for KSM in 1995 after learning of his involvement in a plot to take airliners down over the Pacific, and how the federal government learned of his involvement with 9/11 and the subsequent hunt to find him.

March 26: Maritime Piracy and Birthright Citizenship

Mike Fabey, an investigative journalist with a nomination for a Pulitzer, discuss the threat from maritime piracy, readiness of the U.S. Coast Guard to respond to a potential attack to an oil rig or ship in U.S. waters, and related that narcotics organizations are buying old submarines and using them for clandestine drug importation and courier services.

Jon Feere, Legal Policy Analyst at the Center for Immigration Studies, explained the Constitutional, legal and policies—or lack thereof—that have led us to be one of two developed nations in the world (U.S. and Canada) that automatically afford citizenship to anyone born within our borders, regardless of legal status.

Upcoming Shows:
April 16: The Extensive Evidence That Iran Sponsored 9/11, and Hezbollah Trained the Hijackers
April 23: Hezbollah’s Heavy Hand in the Drug Trade, our Borders, and the Legalization Argument
April 30: How a Savvy Terrorist with a Quality Fake ID Can Breach Airline Security

]]>http://securitydebrief.com/2012/04/13/homeland-security-show-passed-coming-up/feed/0As Somali Piracy Grows Bolder, NATO Stays the Coursehttp://securitydebrief.com/2012/03/29/as-somali-piracy-grows-bolder-nato-stays-the-course/
http://securitydebrief.com/2012/03/29/as-somali-piracy-grows-bolder-nato-stays-the-course/#commentsThu, 29 Mar 2012 17:58:52 +0000http://securitydebrief.com/?p=13059Despite Defense Department budget cuts and ongoing military operations, pirates in the waters off the coast of Somalia won’t see a decrease in naval military presence any time soon. NATO allies recently agreed to continue through 2014 the Ocean Shield operation – a counter-piracy naval operation off the Horn of Africa protecting merchant ships from pirate attack. This is welcome news to many ship owners and charters, which have seen an increase in the number of pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean. In 2011, Somali pirates attacked 439 vessels, fired on 113 of them, hijacked 45, and took 802 hostages. The pirate threat and the international response seem only to be escalating.

Piracy in the Indian Ocean threatens human life, regional stability, and international commerce, costing the global economy $7 billion to $12 billion annually. To address this issue, the National Chamber Foundation (NCF) recently hosted “High Risk on the High Seas: The Economic Impact of Piracy in the Indian Ocean,” an event featuring comments from industry and government experts on the challenge of piracy and the threat to commercial interests in the Indian Ocean.

For ships passing through the 2.5 million square nautical miles of water where Somali pirates operate, security measures are a necessity. Speakers at the NCF program offered several perspectives on the pirate threat, offering insight into the primary areas where governments and industry should focus their efforts.

The immediate need is to mitigate the direct threat to crew members and their ships. One of the panelists at the program, Paul Gugg, Company Security Officer for Chevron, said the “critical evolution in an attack is getting from the small skiff up the side and onto the ship.”

Given that, ships are increasingly fitted with fairly basic physical barriers, like greased rails, fire hoses, and electrified wire. In total, ships passing through the Indian Ocean trade lanes have 14,000 miles of 750 mm stainless steel razor wire protecting ship perimeters. To put that in context, the Somali coastline is only about 1,200 miles long, leaving Gugg to wonder whether the razor wire is being deployed in the right places.

Another effective defensive tactic is speeding through the dangerous waters. Rear Admiral Terry McKnight, former Commander of Piracy Task Force 151, the international naval force tasked with anti-piracy operations, said no ship traveling at 18 to 20 knots will be caught by pirates in small skiffs.

Perhaps even more effective in deterring attacks is the presence of private security firms, hired by ship owners to escort their crew and cargo through pirate-infested waters. Pirates have not succeeding in taking a ship where armed security teams were present.

As an example, Mark Martecchini, Managing Director at Stolt Tankers, said during the program that “in using armed guards, we have had no ships taken, no unfavorable incidents, and the warning shots that have been fired on about 10% of the occasions of transits going through [the Indian Ocean] have been effective in getting the pirates to go search for easier targets.”

While private sector protective measures are important, all of the event’s speakers agreed the continued presence of naval forces in the region is critical to stemming the pirate threat.

The NATO decision to continue the Ocean Shield operation through 2014 supports this. One constant challenge, however, is what to do with pirates once they have been captured. At present, as much as 75% of captured pirates are released making them free to attack another ship on another day. The reasons for this are fairly straightforward: there are not enough nations willing to take the apprehended pirates and put them on trial, and there is not enough prison capacity in Somalia to hold the convicted.

The threat may manifest at sea, but the origins lay on land in Somalia’s turbulent and unstable political environment. While there has been some progress in building prison capacity in the Somali regions of Putland and Somaliland, it is not yet enough to manage the large numbers of pirates caught in the act. Somalia has long been plagued by violence and political unrest. Beyond a weak (if not absent) central government, the al Qaeda-affiliate al Shabaab conducts terrorist acts threatening regional stability. With these significant challenges – which no doubt contribute to the escalating pirate threat – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said:

“We will encourage the international community to impose further sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, on people inside and outside the [Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government] who seek to undermine Somalia’s peace and security or to delay or even prevent the political transition.”

Even as the international community targets pirate ringleaders on land and addresses the growing threat at sea, the panel made clear it is critical to understand that piracy presents large economic costs to industry, the supply chain and the global economy.
In reflecting on these conditions, Mitch King, Supply Chain Director for the Dow Chemical Company, offered:

“This is not just a problem for the vessels that transit through this area. The impact reaches around the globe, from the supplier to the manufacturer, to the shipper, and to the customer…Delays related to piracy create a ripple effect in the supply chain.”

The risks are great, as are the challenges. The common wisdom presented at the program is that there is no silver bullet for piracy in the Indian Ocean. With industry and government continuing to work closely to mitigate the threat, it seems the best course for ships and crew is – to borrow from the maritime lexicon – batten down the hatches and full steam ahead.